Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 511 Extra: The New Recruit

"General, these are all new recruits this year."

In the training ground of the Bohai Navy camp, rows of new recruits stood. Most of these recruits were between fifteen or sixteen and twenty years old, with male and female soldiers making up about half.

General Zhao Hehua looked at the energetic new recruits with a satisfied smile in her eyes.

It is now the sixteenth year of the Zhaoyuan era. Emperor Zhaoyuan has been on the throne for sixteen years and has implemented new policies for sixteen years. The government is efficient and the people are at peace.

Eight years ago, Emperor Zhaoyuan won a decisive victory on the grasslands, spending enormous manpower, resources, and money over a period of four years to build a Han city. Since then, the borders have been much more peaceful.

Occasionally, battles occur, but mostly on the grasslands. The Beiping army and several other garrison forces in Youzhou haven't fought for several years. The renowned Pei family army, like a sheathed sword, has had no chance to unleash its full power.

In recent years, military spending has been cut by more than 20%. Veterans over forty years old in the military received generous resettlement allowances. After returning to their hometowns, they were either settled as village chiefs, or worked as constables or yamen runners in the local county government; some were even allocated land. Those who had served for more than ten years could also apply to leave the military and return to their hometowns. Their resettlement allowances were slightly less than those for veterans over forty.

This task was tedious and meticulous, involving both military and civil affairs, and to put it more bluntly, it involved two major factions: military generals and civil officials. With Emperor Zhaoyuan in power, things appeared harmonious on the surface, but in reality, there was constant friction behind the scenes.

The military officers wanted to secure more resettlement funds and benefits for the veterans, while the civil officials complained bitterly. Suddenly, a group of skilled but unruly warriors had appeared under their jurisdiction, and they had to settle them all. There were only so many positions in the government offices; if they were given to the veterans, how would they settle their own relatives, friends, and nephews?

Nepotism and cronyism are unavoidable practices in any dynasty. After Emperor Zhaoyuan established the Republic, the first people he promoted and appointed were also his close associates.

However, with the continuous improvement of the imperial laws, a large number of outstanding talents emerged each year in the imperial examinations.

These scholars, who had passed the imperial examinations, studied for half a year in the Six Ministries before being assigned to local county offices to learn and perform their duties. They were the emperor's most loyal eyes and ears, and the true backbone of the court's future.

Returning to the present, the shrewd and capable General Zhao is the most effective military commander in settling the veterans, and was commended by imperial decree at the beginning of the year. General Zhao, who came from humble origins, has long been one of the most well-known legendary figures among the people of the Republic of China.

When the Bohai Navy recruited new soldiers, the number of young girls who came to sign up was as high as a swarm of locusts crossing a river.

They longed to be like General Zhao, rising step by step from a lowly soldier to a third-rank general, becoming famous throughout the land.

General Zhao stood on the six-foot-high training platform and addressed the new recruits.

Two newly recruited female soldiers couldn't help but huddle together and whisper, "General Zhao is younger than I imagined."

"I heard that General Zhao is in his thirties, but he looks to be only about twenty-eight or twenty-nine."

"The general is truly handsome and dashing."

General Zhao's gaze swept over them.

The two female soldiers were startled by their general's sharp gaze and immediately shut their mouths and stood at attention, not daring to blink.

Little did she know, General Zhao was recalling her first time entering the military camp. Back then, she and her cousin Wang Cuier had also watched the young and valiant General Pei with excitement, dreaming of one day becoming female generals themselves, standing on the training ground…

In the blink of an eye, twenty years have passed.

She achieved her dream of becoming the most famous female general in the Republic of China. Her cousin, Wang Cuier, however, had already passed away and was buried underground.

Only she knows how hard she has worked on this journey.

After the training session, the new recruits went to collect their bedding and clothes, and then lined up to get their meals.

Everything in the military camp was new and interesting. After the two female soldiers finished eating, they huddled together and whispered to each other. The female soldiers in the same tent couldn't help but join in, chattering away, their conversation still revolving around General Zhao.

"Among the most famous young female officials in the imperial court, besides Pei Wan, the governor of Bingzhou, and Pei Yu, the governor of Shuzhou, the 'Two Zhaos' are the most famous."

"What, the Two Zhaos?"

"You don't know this? It's our General Zhao, and Zhao Qi, the prefect of Hancheng on the grasslands."

“I know, I know. That governor of Hanseong County came from a prominent family in Jiangnan. She was the top female scholar in the first imperial examination in the fifth year of Zhaoyuan. She was exceptionally talented. Hanseong was built by the emperor, who governed it to make it prosperous and wealthy.”

“Our General Zhao is no less capable than her. General Zhao is a girl from an ordinary family. She learned to read, practice martial arts, and fight after joining the army. Now she is a third-rank general, and the emperor has even issued an imperial edict to commend her.”

"Everyone, stop arguing. The Prefect of Hancheng Zhao and the General of Bohai Zhao, one a civil official and the other a military general, one from the Southern Zhao and the other from the Northern Zhao, are two shining pearls of the court. They are both role models for us. What is there to argue about?"

A female soldier immediately chimed in, "That's right. If we could be like one of them in the future, our lives would not have been in vain."

The young man, full of passion and ambition, became increasingly animated as he discussed the topic. It was as if a bright future lay ahead of him.

They were all girls who grew up under the radiant light of Emperor Zhaoyuan, attending school from a young age and excelling in their studies. Otherwise, how could they have passed the exams to enter the army?
The military has long been reformed, and the recruitment process for new soldiers is quite rigorous. Applicants must be physically fit, with preference given to those skilled in horsemanship and archery. They must have completed at least six years of formal schooling and possess an excellent graduation certificate issued by the school.

After passing the military's examinations, they became soldiers of the Republic of China and were officially registered in the military. They received a monthly salary, and upon leaving the military, they could transfer to government offices.

For young girls, participating in scientific expeditions and joining the army were both excellent career paths.

The female soldiers inevitably started gossiping again.

"That Prefect Zhao has taken many male lovers and is quite the womanizer. I heard that he had a child a few years ago, but the child's surname is not Zhao, but Pei."

"Our General Zhao is too modest and frugal. There are so many men in the military camp; if she gave the signal, plenty of men would be willing to marry into her family. But General Zhao has not taken any husbands; it seems she has no intention of getting married."

"Do you want to emulate Prefect Zhao, or General Zhao?"

"General Zhao is living too austerely, and Prefect Zhao has too many men around him. I'm afraid I can't afford such good fortune. I should just stay a soldier for a few years and find a suitable son-in-law to marry into the family in the future."

The female soldiers got more and more excited as they talked, and their voices grew louder and louder.

General Zhao, who was inspecting the military camp, stopped and listened for a moment before bursting into laughter.

The guards around him frowned, wanting to stop the new recruits from talking nonsense, but General Zhao smiled and shook his head, signaling the guards not to speak. Then, he smiled and walked away.

These new recruits are like the rising sun, young and full of energy.

She doesn't need to worry about getting old.

One generation after another of these young people will create a brand new future.

　This is the last bonus chapter! ~o(*￣︶￣*)o
　　The story is finished! Hooray!
　　I won't go into the hardships of writing this book. This is something I love, and I'm willing to dedicate all my heart and soul to it. Thank you to all my readers for your unwavering support.

　　I'll be taking a break for a while to prepare my new book. It'll probably be released in early April, and if not in April, it will definitely be in May. Come check it out in early April!
　　(End of this chapter)